The effect of storage on nutritional, textural and sensory characteristics of creamy ricotta made from whey as well as cow's milk and goat's milk

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a creamy ricotta using a mixture of goat and cow whey as the main ingredients, with the addition of whole goat and cow milk. The nutritional composition, texture and sensory characteristics of the ricotta cheese were evaluated over 14 days of refrigerated storage. There was a decrease in protein and ash content and pH changes during the assessed storage periods. The instrumental texture profile indicated that the creamy ricotta was easily deformable, with minimal inelasticity and a cohesive, soft and delicate texture. The medium-and long-chain fatty acid content was higher than the short-chain fatty acid content. The flavour and aroma of creamy ricotta were described by the panel as having a soft texture and wet appearance. The use of whey from goat and cow cheese in making creamy ricotta is feasible and does not cause negative impact in the final product.

Effect of whey storage on physicochemical properties, microstructure and texture profile of ricotta cheese

“…Di Pierro et al (2011) obtained similar acidity results, from 0.26 to 0.34%, after 30 days of storage. Borba et al (2014) found no difference up to 14 days; it remained at 0.3%. This was attributed to the absence of starter culture in the manufacture of cheese that resulted in whey.…”

“…The recoverable total solids content in cheeses is quite variable according to the origin of whey, milk proportion and characteristics of manufacturing technologies that influence yield (Hawkins et al, 2009). Borba et al (2014) found content of 24.05% for ricotta manufactured only with bovine whey and when milk is added, this content increased to 25.91%. Higher levels are found in ricotta prepared with goat milk whey (30.68%) (Pizzillo et al, 2005), or whey previously treated with calcium concentration or precipitation, which removes hydrophilic lipoproteins that reduce yield (Prudencio et al, 2014).…”

“…The protein content of ricotta cheese remained unchanged with the use of whey stored for a longer period, with average value of 12.25%, in accordance with the whey composition ( Table 2). Other authors have found, for ricotta with goat milk whey, values of 6.55% (Pizzillo et al, 2005), 10.3% with bovine and goat milk whey (Borba et al, 2014), and 14.92% with bovine milk whey (Prudencio et al, 2013).…”

“…Ash content of 0.93% was reported for ricotta with goat milk whey (Pizzillo et al, 2005), 2.22% for ricotta with bovine and goat milk whey (Borba et al, 2014) and 2.46% when ricotta was made with whey protein concentrate (El Sheikh et al, 2011). For processed ricotta, titratable acidity in lactic acid increased both during storage, especially after the second week, when whey was stored for extended periods (Table 3).…”

“…Low L* values are assigned to darkening as a result of oxidation, enzymatic and microbiological degradation, and are undesirable for causing consumers' rejection (Dattatreya and Rankin, 2006). L* values of 93.36 are found for ricotta containing goat milk (Borba et al, 2014). This is due to the presence of smaller fat globules and conversion of β-carotene to vitamin A (Park et al, 2007).…”